day trip to Paestum

Paestum is one of my favorite places, I've been there several times. I usually go from Naples by train, I've never gone from Sorrento. There may be a bus from Sorrento, or at least a bus from Sorrento to Salerno, from which you can take the train. The train stop in Paestum is only a train stop, no longer a staffed station, so be sure to get your return ticket before you get there. Check the schedule (or ask your hotel in Sorrento to do it) because the number of trains per day can vary. As for the site itself, it's about 1km from the train station. The site is large and well-marked, you can get an audio guide which should be enough, although I've seen tour guides as well. The archeological site is open 7 days a week. Across the street from the main entrance to it, there is a very good museum (closed on Mondays). At the exit end of the archeological site is a nice bar and restaurant that looks over the site. Stay away from the made-in-China souvenir stands (unless that's your thing) along the main street to the ruins. There's also an interesting little church on a small piazza around the corner from the museum. Paestum also has a beach.

For the bus, the SITA bus does go to Salerno. But, you have to change buses at Amalfi. Or, you can backtrack on the Circumvesuviana train to the Pompei Scavi stop and taxi to the other train station in Pompei which is a Trenitalia train station. Buy round trip tickets as the train station at Paestum may not be staffed and I don't think there is a ticket machine. The tickets are all mostly on Regionale trains so they are "open" tickets that are good for 60 days on any Regionale train making the run. For the final hint, make sure that you are on the train at Pompei no later than the 9:01 run as it's 4.5hrs until the next train to Paestum. There are trains at 6:12, 7:04 and 8:00.

As a compromise and depending on when you will be in Sorrento this company offers a guided day trip to Paestum. In the past we have driven but a couple of years ago we decided to take this tour and leave the driving to someone else. As tours go we thought it was not bad. Our guide on the day was good and we did not feel rushed. We also thought the visit to the Cathedral in Salerno was well worth it. http://www.goldentours.it/en/salerno_e_paestum.php

Thanks all. Very helpful.

We did a day-trip from Sorrento to Paestum this past July. There is an organized bus tour one day a week from Sorrento (I think on Tuesdays), but not on a day we were there. We had a day left on our three-day Campania Artecard (which covered the Circumvesviana, train to/from Paestum, and half-off Paestum admission), so we went to Paestum the long-and-tedious-but-cheap way: Circumvesuviana to Pompei Scavi Villa dei Misteri stop, thirty minute walk from Circumvesuviana to Trenitalia station, caught the 9:01 am train from Pompei Trenitalia station to Paestum (arrived at Paestum at 10 am), walked to the ruins (bought tickets at museum first), enjoyed the site (really neat, especially the outdoor mosaic floors, although we thought Rick's book didn't do a good job of self-guided walk, and his historical info was sometimes in contradiction to the posted info) and museum (although the Tomb of the Diver and the bathrooms are all we really enjoyed at the museum), and walked back to catch the 2 pm train back to Pompei, walked back to Pompei Scavi Villa dei Misteri stop, and caught the Circumveuviana back to Sorrento (along with a lot of tired, hot Pompeii tourists). It was a very long, very hot, very fun day, with the added adventure of getting there and back from Sorrento on public transportation.

Paestum is a must see in my opinion. Been twice. Each time rented a car for the day in Positano. Left AM. Returned PM. Enjoyed the Amalfi Coast drive. The drive from Sorrento is much easier. RS "Italy" guidebook has much helpful information.

You can also take a wonderful boat ride to Salerno and catch the train there. OR take the boat back to Sorrento. The boat trip is wonderful and gives you an amazing view of the Amalfi Coast fro the sea.